Boomerang: The Biggest Bust

Boomerang: The Biggest Bust

Right now, Europe is in serious financial chaos. In Greece, infrastructure costs mean it would be cheaper to transport all Greek rail passengers by taxi, and hairdressing is classified as arduous for tax avoidance purposes. In Iceland, Range Rovers frequently explode as owners collect the insurance to pay for them. Ireland saw the entire country put up for sale - to itself, while the Germans expected the whole world to behave like them. But the whole world didn't. In this hilarious, fascinating, timely must-read, Michael Lewis reveals the true natures of the countries caught up in - and exacerbating - our boomerang economies. 'Chock-full of extraordinary characters, amusing anecdotes and shocking insights' Observer 'A tour de force . . . All those questions you've half-asked yourself- nowhere else will you find them answered with such incisive wit or terrifying clarity' Mail on Sunday'Desperately funny' Daily Telegraph 'Top form' Spectator 'Fascinating' The New York Times 'Hilarious' Irish Independent Review

Reviews

Fascinating ... the book could not be more timely ... a sharp-edged narrative that leaves readers with a visceral understanding of the fiscal recklessness that lies behind today's headlines -- Michiko Kakutani New York Times Michael Lewis's bravura journey through Europe's economic underbelly brilliantly charts the consequences of a world plagued by debt ... highly enjoyable ... nicely politically incorrect, often very funny, and shot through with genuine insight -- Robert Harris Sunday Times Brilliant ... he has a novelist's gift Spectator, Books of the Year Lewis' investigation of bubbles across Europe is brilliantly, sadly hiliarious GQ magazine Caustically funny ... urgent and chilling ... a thought-provoking read -- Ian Morris Observer Lewis is the finest storyteller of our generation -- Malcolm Gladwell He is so good everyone else may as well pack up Evening Standard Michael Lewis meets some extraordinary characters in his excursion through the barely controlled madness that is modern finance ... lucid, entertaining -- Tony Barber Financial Times He writes with the wit and observational eye of a travel writer -- Richard Fitzpatrick Irish Examiner He writes quite brilliantly and understands the complex financial matters whereof he speaks. As polemical prose goes, it is hard to beat -- Howard Davies Management Today

Author description

Michael Lewis was born in New Orleans and educated at Princeton University and the London School of Economics. He has written several books including the New York Times bestsellers Liar's Poker, widely considered the book that defined Wall Street during the 1980s, and The Big Short, 'probably the single best piece of financial journalism ever written' (Reuters). Lewis is contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and also writes for Vanity Fair and Portfolio magazine.